a week of remixing // on a frozen lake

dress/leggings: forever 21 // cardigan/belt: thrifted // boots: target




I just got back from a pretty exciting adventure today! I'm doing an art project for a class, where we have to create some art based on an artist in the past, and I of course chose Ansel Adams, so today my parents and I drove around so I could take some black and white film photos (and of course some digital stuff as well).





We drove all the way to Portage Glacier, where I actually wanted to take some photos of Byron Glacier, but sadly the trail was blocked off by a seven foot tall pile of snow, so we opted not to make that trek. Instead we hiked out on to the Portage Lake to take some pictures, and then stopped at various places along the road to shoot as well.





As for my outfit, no, I didn't wear it on the photo adventure, though I did wear it earlier today to buy my new tripod! Now I am back to having no money. Why is it that everything breaks whenever I'm trying to save money? I think that's one of the unwritten laws of the universe that humans are forced to spend more money on things they need to have fixed the moment they are trying not to spend money. Oh well, at least I have a new tripod that should hold up longer than my old one.




I can't wait to be able to develop the film photos I shot today and show you guys! We had really perfect weather and the shadows made by the sun looked really awesome on the mountains, so I should get a couple of really good photos. Tomorrow I'm hopefully going on another photo adventure, so I'll be busy editing things again, which I love.




Have a great day!

a week of remixing // second winter

sweater/dress: borrowed // shirt/belt: thrifted // tights/socks: forever 21 // boots: gift



It snowed over a foot here today, so I didn't get to go purchase a new tripod like I originally had planned. So I took out the old tripod, the one I used years ago; the one that doesn't allow the camera to shoot vertically; the one that I have to move so far away so that my whole self gets into the shot, which consequently my remote doesn't reach that far ... it felt like good old times running back and forth between the ten second timer and manual focusing to get perfect shots, haha. I'm glad technology has come far enough that we can have things like swivels on our tripods and remotes for optimum self indulgence. If you can consider freezing your fingers for the sake of a picture self indulgence.




Because really (and this is my own opinion), everything is to one extent or another self indulgence. Even acts that seem altruistic, aren't. I get a ton of joy from helping and being kind to other people, and so part of the reason I am kind is to feel that joy. I like making people happy because it makes me happy too. I blog not only because I find it fun to take photos of myself and share my thoughts on things, but also because I love helping people get better at style or a project or life in general. Hedonism, my friends. It's a great motivator. Of course, anything in excess is a bad thing--if you're doing acts of service solely to make yourself feel accomplished or make people think you're this really kind person, then maybe you have the wrong motives.




I just hope with my own life, I can encourage and help people by doing the things I love to do, not only because those things make me happy, but also because they make other people happy. How great would it be to spend your entire life helping others by doing what you love? That would be a pretty awesome life.




I hope you have a wonderful Tuesday. :)

a week of remixing // in rainbows

sweater: borrowed // dress/shoes: target // coat/leggings: forever 21 // scarf: asos // photos from William




Today was a nice lazy Sunday, eating pizza, running around in the snow, sleeping with kitty cats, catching up on the latest Community episodes (aka best tv show ever). I like happy lazy days, unlike ones where I'm questioning everything I'm doing in life (we all have those days). Those tend to happen a lot for me, but thankfully today I was content to just let the day pass.




Tonight Matt (my boyfriend/best friend) and I got to have a skype date. First we played Age of Empires, where we purged the land of our enemies and became king and queen of the world, and then we just talked and talked for hours. I love being able to talk to him about anything. I'm usually not one to talk on the phone or videochat because I just get so nervous, but I'm always really excited to be able to talk with him (I guess that means he's a keeper!). I hope many more of our nights are like this night, with video games and talking and just enjoying each other's company. It's really wonderful and refreshing.




Hope you have a really wonderful day.

my week in instagram #40

wild sweet orange // "Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst." -- Henri Cartier-Bresson (sent to me via email from my photography teacher) // testing out filters on my film photos // hail in oregon // the my beautiful backyard project // journaling about my 365 gallery show // driving to the airport // sitting in the airplane // arriving in Alaska

Hope your week was great! You can follow my adventures on instagram @impulsings

a week of remixing // home sweet home

dress: borrowed // yellow dress/skirt: forever 21 // tights/ring: thrifted // shoes: target // photos by William



Well look who's back in Alaska! It's spring break for Lauren, and I'm excited for a bit of rest and relaxation, though I'm sure I'll be doing a lot of adventuring this week. I managed to come home with only a carry on (part of my packing skills ... still can't believe how many clothes I fit into my little bag/how many clothes I wore on the plane, haha. My own mother couldn't even believe I packed everything into one carry on.), so this week will be a "week of remixing"! These are all the clothes I brought for the week and will consequently be remixing, so it will be interesting to see all the combinations that are possible. (Though I might not wear the pants since I brought them mostly to wear underneath my snowsuit ... can't really go sledding or hiking in a dress!)




It's really nice to be back amongst the snow and mountains, especially since it hardly ever snowed while I was back for my winter break. Spring has redeemed the good ol' last frontier by bringing a bunch of constant snowfall this first day back. We were scheduled to have a blizzard warning, but the visibility has been pretty good and there's practically no wind. It's the perfect winter day, snuggling up with kitty cats and eating freshly baked cookies.




And no, it wasn't too cold taking these photos, though I certainly don't suggest walking around in short sleeves at this time of year. It's nice when you're ten steps away from the front door so you can run in whenever your fingers start to get numb. Plus the first day of taking outfit pictures in the snow after being away from it is probably the best day, since I was really excited for pretty snowfall photos. A big thanks to my brother William for taking these for me, since my tripod recently broke and I won't be able to purchase a new one until Monday.



Other things I did today? Thrifted a little bit--I got that little ring for a dollar as well as a scarf I'm going to use as a prop for a photo. Then my mom and I went to the mall to grab some lunch. Other than that I haven't done very much, just a lot of relaxing and planning for the week. I will be working on an art project this week that involves me driving to some of my favorite places in Alaska, so like I said before, there will be a lot of adventuring and I'm so excited for it!




Have a great day!

film friday: empire state of pen

Empire State of Pen from BigAnimal on Vimeo.

Here's a cool, quick video for you to watch on your break today. I love the music and of course the art, I just want to jump right into the drawing and live there. It's so insane to think that people are capable of doing something like this. I don't think I would have the patience.


In other news, I finished all my classes and I'm about to start packing to fly home tonight. It's officially spring break!

My Beautiful Backyard Project

Hey all, today I'm launching something that I have been wanting to do for quite some time, and I would encourage you to join in!

This is the My Beautiful Backyard project, and it is a community art project inspired by the landscape and people in our homes. Whether it be through painting, drawing, writing, photography, sculpture, etc. the beauty of our backyard is seen through what we create.

This is an effort to step outside and appreciate what is in our own backyard.

You can submit your own artwork here and celebrate the beauty of your own backyard!

the final stretch

dress/shoes: forever 21 // sweater: walmart (?) // shirt: borrowed




Here we are, the final stretch before spring break! I have one more test today and one more paper to write, and then I'm home free! Unless you count my spring break assignments, but I'm going to list those as fun things considering they are art related. I'm ready for a week of relaxation and adventures and seeing my family again. The only things left to do are laundry and packing. I'm going to try to just take a carry-on, and remix clothes for the week, but considering me being me and always overpacking, we shall see how successful this endeavor actually is.





Have a wonderful Thursday everyone!

diy twig bracelet

Today I'm bringing you a super fun diy that is really easy to do and costs virtually no money. It's the diy twig bracelet, and it's an awesome way to combine the great outdoors with more modern, metallic feelings.



First and foremost, there is a list of materials you will need:

1. Twig of considerable length, preferably wet from the rain (It has to go around your wrist at least once and will need to be formed into a circular shape.)
2. Metal tube beads (I got mine at Michael's for about $3. Just make sure the holes are thick enough for the twig to be able to go through.)
3. Box cutter or exacto knife
4. Hot glue gun or super glue (Super glue will work better, but I didn't have any on hand so I used a glue gun.)

step one; measure your wrist.

This is a pretty straightforward step. Make sure you'll be able to get the bracelet on and off easily. You should gently mold the twig into the rounded shape that you desire, as it is easily breakable at this stage.. Then cut the twig at the appropriate length.



step two; whittle ends.

Trim down both ends of the twig so that they fit nice and comfortably in the bead. Each end should take up half the space in the bead, so that when you glue everything together, both sides will be attached securely.



step three; glue together.

Take one whittled end of the twig, put hot glue/super glue on the end, and slide it into the bead. Seal it with a little bit of glue. Allow it to dry, and then do the same thing do the other end.



And there you go! You have a beautiful twig bracelet that all your friends will be jealous of. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Have a great day!